Posts for tag: Foot Odor

If you’re like many people, you may have watched the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. At Affiliated Foot & Ankle Care, it inspired us to think about a countdown to better foot care. It’s a resolution we think should be on all of our patients’ lists. Let these 10 tips put you on the path to healthier, happier feet:

10: Don’t smoke. Smoking not only increases your risk of several major diseases and is bad for your lungs, but it can also harm your feet because it impedes your circulation and slows healing if you injure your feet, ankles, or other lower extremity.

9: Avoid going barefoot. When your feet are exposed, you have a much greater chance of stepping on a sharp object or banging into something that could cause an injury to your foot. Bare feet are also vulnerable to fungal infections, which are spread through direct contact.

7: Eat healthy. Choosing a well balanced diet can help you get to and/or maintain an appropriate weight. Being overweight increases the risk and severity of several foot problems. Your food choices can also affect joint pain and other inflammatory conditions. Talk to our foot doctor about foods that trigger or decrease inflammation.

6: Exercise regularly. This goes hand in hand with a healthy diet. In addition to helping with weight control, however, exercise also improves circulation and keeps muscles and tendons in the foot flexible and healthy.

5: Alternate your shoes. Allow shoes to air out between wearings. This will lower your risk of fungal infection and reduce foot odor.

3: Inspect feet regularly. Report any changes in color, shape, or temperature of your feet, as well as growths, redness, swelling, bruising or wounds that seem slow to heal.

2: Buy high quality, properly fitting shoes. This will go a long way in preventing many chronic ankle and foot disorders.

1: Don’t put off seeking medical care for foot pain. Delaying treatment often leads to worsening pain and disability. If you are experiencing any pain or discomfort in your toes, feet or ankles contact our Edison, Monroe or Monmouth Junction office in New Jersey by calling: 732-662-3050 today.

Did you know that there are about 3,000 sweat glands per square inch in your feet? But sweat on its own doesn’t have a foul odor. It’s when the perspiration interacts with bacteria found in socks and shoes that smelly feet happen. At Affiliated Foot & Ankle Care we know that stinky feet can be an embarrassing problem. Here are some steps you can take to help prevent this problem:

Follow a good foot hygiene regimen: wash feet daily with a mild soap and dry completely, especially between the toes—this will help keep bacteria levels low.

Choose shoes that are made of breathable materials such as leather, canvas or mesh. Avoid plastic shoes.

Change socks daily or more than once a day if your feet sweat excessively.

Wear socks that are thick and absorbent and wick moisture away from your feet.

Try not to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. If you participate in a sport activity daily, consider getting two pairs of athletic shoes so they have a chance to air out between uses.

Don’t wear closed shoes without socks.

Use foot or anti-fungal powder daily to help keep feet dry and lower your risk of fungal infections.

Lastly, check your feet regularly for dry patches, redness or scaling. These could indicate a fungal or bacterial condition which can also be a source of a foul foot odor. If you do notice these symptoms, especially if accompanied by itching or burning, contact our Edison, Monroe or Monmouth Junction office for an appointment. One of our podiatrists, Dr. Varun Gujral or Dr. Nrupa Shah, will examine your feet and help get to the bottom of what’s causing your foot odor problem. The foot doctor can then prescribe appropriate treatment and preventive measures to put an end to this condition.

Do smelly feet hold you back from doing certain activities with friends or family? If so, you are not alone, many people experience the problems of foot odor at some point throughout their life and try real hard to hide it. Foot Odor can be caused by a vast number of things; some of the most common factors include overusing one pair of shoes, excessive sweating in the shoes, and a lack of ventilation. A warm and moist environment creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi which over time will multiply and accumulate and eventually create that awful smell that’s stinking up your favorite pair of shoes. If foot odor is a problem for you there are some simple tips you can do to stop foot odor from controlling your life.

Deodorize the Shoe: You can easily deodorize the inside of your shoes by placing baking soda inside your shoes every night and then dump it out the next day. Also, cedar chips have anti-fungal properties which can be placed in your shoes overnight as well.

Freeze your shoes: You can kill much of the bacteria and fungi in your shoes by freezing them. Place your shoes in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer overnight and you’ll notice a dramatic decrease in the smell of your shoes. Just remember to let them thaw out before you put them on.

Wash your shoes: If you have shoes that are machine washable it would be a good idea to wash your shoes in detergent at least once a month to get rid of any dirt and grime in your shoes. Just remember to let them dry out real good before wearing them again.

Use baby powder on your feet: If your feet sweat a lot, this could attract bacteria to them and cause them to smell bad. To prevent this from happening, you need to keep them dry by using baby powder or something similar to it on your feet. You can put a layer of baby powder on your feet and then put socks on and then another layer in your shoes before wearing them. This will not only keep your feet dry but they will smell like baby powder which is much better than the other alternatives.

Manage your foot hygiene: Probably the most important tip for preventing foot odor is to maintain good foot hygiene. One should clean their feet daily by cleaning them in the shower with soap making sure to clean in between the toes. Alternatively, one could soak their feet in a vinegar solution or Epsom Salt solution. Whichever method you choose, make sure to dry your feet well afterwards. You can also put deodorant on your feet just make sure to keep a stick that is meant only for your feet.

Have more than one pair of shoes: Try not to wear the same shoe more than two days in a row. Have an extra pair that you could switch out and wear the next day. Also allow the other pair of shoes a chance to dry out.

If you’re suffering from foot odor and would like to discuss topic with a podiatrist or would like more information about foot odor please make an appointment with one of our podiatrists at Affiliated Foot and Ankle Care located in Edison and Monroe, NJ.

Since activity should be a part of everyone's routine, I thought I should talk about sweaty stinky feet. Some among us suffer from stinky feet and as a podiatrist, I run into stinky feet all the time. While some people can sweat gallons and still smell like roses, others just cannot seem to shake the stink. Your feet are built to perspire when you are undergoing intense activity. We don't know why exactly but it has to do with traction when you're running barefoot (perhaps the cavemen needed all the traction they could get when they were running barefoot away from mountain lions). In any case, feet sweat. So how do you keep the odor at bay?

While you may think that the odor is coming from the sweat, it's not. The odor is mainly due to the bacteria that thrive in dark, wet, and dirty environments. Unfortunately, most shoes are ideal for these little odor causing bugs. Here are a few tips to help keep your shoes smelling fresh.

· Wear moisture wicking socks. Technology is great, and fortunately there are many socks on the market that not only allow your feet to breath (decreasing moisture), but wick away the sweat to keep your feet and shoes dry. If you wear your shoes barefoot they will quickly become saturated with sweat which will actually decrease the breathability and cause you to sweat even more.

· Speaking of shoes, keep your shoes dry! If your shoes are soaking wet by the end of the day, make sure they get plenty of air so they can dry out overnight. You should never put wet shoes back on. The best antimicrobial solution is lack of water. Bacteria, like humans, require moisture to thrive and will die if they are deprived of that moisture. When I leave the gym I like to pop my shoes off and stick them on the floor by the passenger seat. Then I power up the AC on the floor which dries out my shoes, socks, and feet. Plus it feels great!